Suggestion for a Suggestion Thread?

[Chiyamaka]

I had made a post suggesting some guests and read there would be a suggestion thread (this was a while back).
Is it going to be made? If you guys want to start inviting guests that are suggested the time would be now...or very soon.  
I also was told there was a suggestion form on the site...but there is none.


So Therefore, I suggest a suggestion thread.

[PatrickD]

We're already well underway with extending invitations to guests and have some very big surprises in store for PortConMaine's 10th year.  We had a survey up after the previous convention ended, so we feel we have a good idea of what you guys are looking for in a guest.

Quite honestly, guest suggestion threads usually end up becoming quite pointless as everyone simply lists a dozen suggestions (often pointlessly repeating most of the other suggestions before theirs) and it quickly turns into what looks like a contest to see who can name more people.  ...and every convention's suggestion thread is usually the same as the next convention's thread where people bring up the same names over and over.  Maybe I'm jaded, but with conventions growing into thousands of attendees, the process doesn't quite work well that way anymore.

...so, all I'm going to do is ask that you trust me on this.  I've run Guest Relations at PortConMaine for quite a few years (excluding 2010 when I was unable to attend the con due to a wedding) and you'll see some familiar faces, some familiar names, and some brand new names and faces you've never seen as guests before.

[Chiyamaka]

We're already well underway with extending invitations to guests and have some very big surprises in store for PortConMaine's 10th year.  We had a survey up after the previous convention ended, so we feel we have a good idea of what you guys are looking for in a guest.

Quite honestly, guest suggestion threads usually end up becoming quite pointless as everyone simply lists a dozen suggestions (often pointlessly repeating most of the other suggestions before theirs) and it quickly turns into what looks like a contest to see who can name more people.  ...and every convention's suggestion thread is usually the same as the next convention's thread where people bring up the same names over and over.  Maybe I'm jaded, but with conventions growing into thousands of attendees, the process doesn't quite work well that way anymore.

...so, all I'm going to do is ask that you trust me on this.  I've run Guest Relations at PortConMaine for quite a few years (excluding 2010 when I was unable to attend the con due to a wedding) and you'll see some familiar faces, some familiar names, and some brand new names and faces you've never seen as guests before.

I filled out that quiz, I didn't know any of the guests (the lack of well-known guests turned me away from portcon the past years).
So I've never been to portcon, and I don't know any of the past guests.

Honestly, it's year 10, you should get like..a musical act from Japan. *Like Kanon from an cafe, or access*

[Rose Riku]

Well, one of my favorite authors, Ethan Gilsdorf who wrote Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks seemed interested if you guys wanted him there last time I was talking about it on Facebook. I told him I'd suggest him as a guest. So that's why I was wondering about this, too.

[Chiyamaka]

This is why I started a suggestion thread, portcon needs to know what we want for the 10th year.
I want:
Kanon (bassist of an-cafe, he loves being a guest at anime conventions and he also just produced a videogame!)
http://www.studioblue3.com/

Access (who want to make a U.S. appearance, starting small, which is perfect for portcon)
http://www.access-web.jp/

[PatrickD]

Access (who want to make a U.S. appearance, starting small, which is perfect for portcon)
http://www.access-web.jp/

Sorry, we are definitely not getting any Japanese guests.

[Hakuro de Killer]

Well from what I hear, this is the 10th Anniversary of Portcon Maine. In celebration, the idea is to bring back the most popular guests that have graced the halls of Portcon for the past 10 years.

If I had to suggest a guest (or technically "Guests"), I'd actually wanna see the Unofficial One Piece Podcast. But that's assuming newer guests are being allowed for suggestion.

[Chiyamaka]

Sorry, we are definitely not getting any Japanese guests.

Not to be rude but do you have something against Japanese guests?
You do realize this is you tenth year, you guys havent had any japanese guests.
No offense, but without guests that people want, portcon will remain the same, a small and un-noticed convention.

[Dukat]

Biggest reason for not getting guests from Japan, they would eat up the entire quest budget and more. PortCon is, by nature, a small con. We like it that way. And frankly we don't have the room to grow anymore, we're already pushing fire codes as it is and there's no reasonable place to expand to, and please don't try and suggest places. They've already been looked into.

[Knarpulous]

You say you haven't attended Portcon before, why don't you give it a shot before complaining about guests (or lack thereof)... There's a lot more to conventions than guests.

[Rose Riku]

Not to be rude but do you have something against Japanese guests?
You do realize this is you tenth year, you guys havent had any japanese guests.
No offense, but without guests that people want, portcon will remain the same, a small and un-noticed convention.

Portcon is great. Japanese guests would be cool and all but most people are fine with the guests that go. I loved the people I got to meet in 2009. It made my year. Japanese guests are not a MUST-HAVE at anime conventions.

[Ugly Bob]

I agree, the budget is the primary concern, especially for an East Coast con, in which Japanese guests must come from much further away.

For me, Portcon will always be unique because of its panels and events that tend to be much more varied than even cons 3 times the size.

[PatrickD]

Dukat is correct.  We simply cannot afford getting a Japanese guest to PortConMaine.  Even if we could, it would mean eliminating all other guests.  That means anyone that is not a fan of that guest would be quite upset.  I'm not going to do that.  We're going to pull in a wide range of guests.  As you can see from those we've already listed, we've got some variety between authors, cosplayers, and academic already...and some returning and some new.

Also, as a little insider info on the larger cons that have the budget for Japanese guests, it's not so much "Who do we want?" but "Who can we get?"  To get a guest from Japan, you need to have contacts there.  Getting someone outside of those contacts is nearly impossible.  So while I might be a great idea to get your favorite Japanese voice actor, it's nearly impossible if your contacts in Japan have no way to get in touch with him or her.  A lot of times, you just have to take who you can get.

However, that's not to say that a con is all about Japanese guests.  Some of the best guests are from right here in North America.  ...and I know a lot of people will be VERY pleased with the guest announcements we've got coming VERY SOON NOW.  Oh, yes you will. 

Until then, can someone please lock up this thread?  Thank you.

[ragabash!]

Thank you all for your enthusiasm!  Trust me if we could afford we'd invite folks from Japan no question!  Unless we get some serious sponsorship or very VERY generous donations, I don't see it happening anytime soon.  We're not that big, nor do we have any intention on being so.  We like our small intimate nature. 


Trust us!  Pat and I have the guest situation well in hand.  We'll do our best to get who we can with what we have.

With that!  I lock this conversation, and trust that you will trust us.